The Quality of Light

“The quality of light by which we scrutinize our lives has direct bearing upon the product which we live, and upon the changes which we hope to bring about through those lives.”– Audre Lorde

Since August when I started working for AFSC, I’ve been struck by how much I’ve been noticing light. When I leave at the end of the day to walk to the train, the light shining on City Hall and on the other tall buildings in Philadelphia has been deep blue and translucent most days. The way the moon often slices the sky next to William Penn’s hat has made its reflected light feel close. When the plaza was filled with Occupy Philly tents, the evening radiance seemed like an inquiry: what would shining light on our common civic life reveal? How might such light change us?

What is your experience of light in its various manifestations? How does light shape your faith experience? How does light relate to social justice and peace?

About the Author

Lucy serves as Director of Friends Relations for AFSC. She has been a storyteller for 20 years and has worked with Quaker meetings on telling stories for racial justice and of spiritual experience. Before working for AFSC, she was Director of Communications at FGC, managed QuakerBooks of FGC, and owned and managed her own children's bookstore in Omaha, The Story Monkey. She attends Green Street Friends Meeting (PhYM) and lives with her son and partner in a Quaker cemetery.